In the past, Chrysler’s Jeep brand has been known to do some experimenting by integrating pickup trucks into their lineup. In 1962 they released a truck known as the Gladiator, which was basically a big Wagoneer sans the two rear doors and rear passenger compartment. Then in 1986 they took another stab with the Jeep Comanche. This was again, based on Jeep’s then XJ class Cherokee and was offered with either a six or seven foot bed. By far the most successful of the two offerings, the XJ went on to a six-year production run that eventually ended in 1992. Now it seems that Jeep is going to give it another shot, and that shot may look a lot like the Gladiator concept you see here.

At a discussion with journalists at the North American International Auto Show, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that, “I like that vehicle. I liked it the first day I saw it. There’s a better than 50 percent chance that you’ll get one. Regardless of what Ram says. They’re totally peeved off at the fact that we’re going to have anything that looks like a pickup truck with a Jeep badge on it. I actually think that there’s space for it.” Keep in mind though that Marchionne isn’t calling this a pickup truck in as much as he’s calling it a “multipurpose vehicle”. Honestly, we don’t care what he calls it as long as they build it, as the Gladiator Concept is a pretty bad-ass machine as far as we’re concerned.

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